Icelandic Scouts to Participate in Pride Parade

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Icelandic Scouts to Participate in Pride Parade

The Icelandic Boy and Girl Scout Organization has announced its participation in the Icelandic Pride Parade, which will be held in Reykjavík next Saturday.

“We will have a float in the parade as we want to show that [the Icelandic Boy and Girl Scout Organization] is an open-minded and diverse movement,” said Inga Auðbjörg Kristjánsdóttir, former publicity officer for the organization, in an interview with visir.is. The scouts will wear their uniforms and rainbow-colored neckerchiefs.

Inga said the organization wants to reinforce their image as welcoming and non-discriminating, in contrast to how the U.S. branch has been covered in Icelandic media lately. The branch only recently lifted a ban on gay scouts and still bans gay scout leaders.

“The media hasn’t necessarily been the most helpful in showing that this is an open-minded movement, although organizations in the United States and elsewhere are often a bit behind the times,” she added.

Inga stressed that the movement is particularly concerned with upholding human rights, and that this move is a part of that central mission. “Now we want to be a part of the gayety, and participate properly,” she concluded.

The parade will depart from the BSÍ Bus Terminal at 2 pm next Saturday, August 9. Reykjavík Pride kicked off on Tuesday and will run through Sunday.